


The Silent Portrait

by vogue91



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 21:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12992982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vogue91/pseuds/vogue91
Summary: She spent all her time watching.





	The Silent Portrait

She watched.  
She spent all her time watching.  
She watched the patrons, always variegated and never likable. She watched Aberforth, silent like in the past, like he always had been. She watched that face with those traits so familiar, those eyes that often lingered on her, but never found the courage to speak. She told herself she must have known them, but she never managed to focus enough to remember who they belonged to.  
Ariana watched. And she never spoke.  
She couldn’t explain the reason. Every morning Aberforth looked at the portrait, he forced a smile and said hello to her, knowing he wasn’t going to get an answer.  
She would’ve liked to say hello back.  
But she didn’t, and not for any resentment toward her brother. Only, speaking would’ve meant to be a little bit alive, again, maybe even forgetting she was no longer a part of that world.  
Because of that man that had stolen everything from her family.  
Because of that man, who took away her brother and then her own life.  
Ariana didn’t feel the rage, because she never could.  
But the sadness, oh yes!, that’s what her days were made of.  
Sadness for the fate they all had, because she was forced on that wall, into that frame, without a chance to move, walk, run, play with Aberforth like she used to do in a time long since forgotten.  
She watched, and nothing else.  
From time to time she saw Albus, and she always felt surprised.  
She watched his face, incredibly aged, but it was like she couldn’t see the signs of time.  
The eyes, those eyes, they were still there, untouched by the years.  
He always nodded at her, and then ignored her. Or, better, he avoided her look, like he was afraid to read an accusation in it.  
Ariana would’ve liked to talk.  
But talking wasn’t going to bring her back, talking wouldn’t have made Aberforth feel better, talking wouldn’t have eased the torment on Albus’ mind.  
So their family had torn to irreconcilable pieces, full of untold words, of unsaid resentment.  
And she could do anything but stay there, hang on the wall, bystander of that drama she didn’t know how to take a part of.  
Ariana watched. And kept quiet.  
There was nothing to say. Not anymore.


End file.
